Costumes made/modeled by Yaya between 1999 - now.

C.C. - Code Geass

Why I chose this costume:

I grew up reading manga by CLAMP and have always been highly influenced by their style of design in my art. When CLAMP did the character designs for Code Geass, I had to watch the series. Even though the show did not click with me, C.C.'s beauty and melancholy did. She has many costumes in the show and illustrations, and this butterfly dress was my favorite. I know I'm not as waify skinny as C.C. but I wanted to make the costume anyway. I've always been very vocal about cosplaying whatever character you want, no matter what your body type is. Not only do I just talk about it, I do it myself all the time.

How I made this costume:

I made the templates for the butterflies and cut out trim by cutting up the actual CLAMP artwork and sizing it up on the computer to myself. My friends Jessica and Megan helped me trace out the templates to make patterns, and together we transferred all the patterns onto fabric with markers, which I already cut and sewed into the skirts. I'm very thankful for their help because I was on a deadline, and having 2 extra pairs of hands to draw out the pattern saved me hours of work.

Then I cut out all the trim and butterflies with a soldering tool, which took many days of breathing fumes and sore/burnt fingers. I thought, if a lasercutter uses heat to cut designs into fabric, why couldn't I use a soldering iron? i don't have a lasercutter, so in a way the technique I tried out was a poor man's manual labor lasercutting LOL. Thankfully the technique worked well on the heavy satin I chose. I had to place a fan next to me after a while to blow the fumes away because the iron tip was cutting synthetic fibers. Not healthy for your brain to inhale.... You also need a good surface to cut on, such as metal or glass. I used an old cooking sheet!!
After aaaaalllll the trim was cut, I made the bodice, which is boned and lined in coutil. I made a big butterfly template and transferred it to satin, then to heat-n-bond and ironed the satin butterfly to skintone fabric, for the center of the bodice. I also made the sleeves, choker, shoulder straps and a red petticoat to wear over the hoopskirt for extra fluffy cupcake-ness! Lastly, I made the giant hair pieces, which was actually a lot of fun! i love beading and making intricate detailed stuff.

Thoughts on this costume:

Yay cupcake costume craving satisfied!!! So much girly-ness combined in this costume, I love it!!!

About Yaya

Yaya Han® is one of only few cosplayers in the world to build a business in this hobby-ist community, but even after a decade of success, she strives to stay true to what got her into this field originally - fun and creativity. To this day, Yaya has made a myriad of costumes in the genres of anime, manga, video games, sci-fi, comic books and of course from her own original designs. Her intricate and lavish creations have won awards and acclaim worldwide, and she has been invited to appear as a Guest, Panelist, Judge, Performer and Host to hundreds conventions and other events all over the globe.